News
Local

Ogichidaa Francis Kavanaugh of Grand Council Treaty 3 hands a copy of the relationship agreement which renews the commitment to place child welfare jurisdiction with the Anishinaabe Nation to Minister of Children and Youth Services Michael Coteau on Thursday, Sept. 7. The signing ceremony took place at the Wauzhushk Onigum Community Development Centre.
KATHLEEN CHARLEBOIS/DAILY MINER AND NEWS

When students from Kiizhiik School opened a signing ceremony with a prayer in the Ojibwe language, delegates said it highlighted the importance of the event that followed.

Ogichidaa Francis Kavanaugh of Grand Council Treaty 3 and Minister of Children and Youth Services Michael Coteau signed a relationship agreement that will continue the process to place the jurisdiction of child welfare and services with the Anishinaabe nation on Thursday, Sept. 7.

“We chose to maintain bilateral relationships with all the ministries, because only Treaty 3 can represent Treaty 3 and its constituents,” said Kavanaugh after the ceremony at the Wauzhushk Onigum First Nation Community Development Centre, which was attended by chiefs, councillors, elders and representatives from service agencies like the Kenora Chiefs Advisory and Anishinaabe Abinoojii Family Services. “It’s all about our children.”

The document is a renewal of the bilateral agreement signed in 2009 between Grand Council Treaty 3 and the Ontario government to co-implement the Indigenous Child and Youth Strategy, which seeks to “transform” the relationship between government and Indigenous nations, according to a press release.

Kavanaugh explained that Treaty 3 has its own traditional child care law, called Anishinaabe Abinoojii Onakonigiwin. In terms of next steps, he said the grand council is working on its child welfare act and meeting with the ministry to have them acknowledge that the act is reflective of Anishinaabe cultural values “and how we raise and take care of our kids.”

Coteau said this is the first agreement of its kind in Ontario as well as Canada. In his opening statement, he said the agreement indicates a new path and a different direction with regards to the government approach to child welfare.

“The old way does not work, and it’s unacceptable,” he said, and added that the agreement will help place jurisdiction over children and family services within Treaty 3 communities and allow them to move in the direction they want to go.

“I don’t think most folks outside of the people involved understand the significance of what’s happening today,” Coteau said. “This is a transfer of jurisdiction and those resources to those delivering those programs and services [and putting them] back into the communities’ hands where they should be.”

He said the goal for the government is not to be prescriptive, but to give the responsibility to Treaty 3 in order to design policies, laws, directives and accountability structures.

Kavanaugh said he hopes both the province and Canada will start to recognize that Treaty 3 has its own laws and jurisdiction.